14.8. Paradoxical mistakes. Paralysis by analysis

There is a number of the so called “paradoxical mistakes” in oral translation – i.e., things, difficult to explain unexpected and even strange, at the first sight, but at times very serious “false steps”.

“Simple-phobia” is a fear of simple translating decisions, when obvious and explicit points in a message seem too simple and for this reason put the translator in a nonplus. More frequently this happens with the beginners, not yet feeling on legs or not very much experienced translators, especially in the period of studying. In a similar situation translator can not believe, that the idea is expressed in such an accessible and simple way, and is just lost, trying to find a certain “hidden” sense, waists precious seconds (operational time), goes astray and loses the logic of the message, without seeing the “wood behind trees”.

Sometimes when doing interpretation one shouldn’t descend below “the first dimension” of a message and find something, which does not exist, but get focused on the main point.

We remember, that in the Greek mythology there was a creature which saw everything and therefore got paralyzed. We call this phenomenon paralysis by analysis. This is the phenomenon when you think so much, take into consideration so many factors, that you already cannot make any decision. This happens in the process of interpretation, when the interpreter tries to analyze simultaneously all the factors and constituents of the message, though because of the time deficit to do it, without detriment to interpretation it is practically impossible, and is not needed.

FFI-phobia (fear of “false friends of interpreter”) exists, too. Actually the number of FFI is not that much big, the number of “faithful friends” is much bigger, these are international words, new terms, especially in macroeconomics, high technology and other rapidly developing branches of science and engineering of the XXI century, which have come from English.

As a rule, these phenomena are explained by the time deficit and psychological pressure in the interpretation process and gradually disappear as the practical experience is accumulated.

Chapter 15: Theory of Interpreter’s Note-Taking

15.1. General ideas

The taking of notes is the crucial point in the technique of consecutive interpretation. The quality of the work done depends on it far more than on any other factor for which training may lead to an improvement. The way in which the notes are taken may even remedy various deficiencies in the interpreter. The importance of technical preparation in this connection can therefore never he overestimated.

Generally speaking, the object of the notes is to supplement memory efficiently. The interpreter who could keep a full and accurate remembrance of all that was said – and there has been at least one such case – would have no need of them. Notes are therefore essentially individual in character; some people have a faculty for remembering details, and others for recollecting the sequence of ideas. A beginner should therefore no more borrow a system of notes which a more experienced interpreter has found successful than a patient should use a prescription prepared for somebody else. Only practical experience and repeated experiments can show the interpreter what type of notes would be the best suited for him. After this general warning, it is possible, however, to give a few hints.

The interpreter should always start taking notes as soon as the speech begins. What looked like “just a few words” may unexpectedly turn out to be an endless discourse, sometimes even though the speaker himself never expected it. An interpreter who is taken unawares in such a case may have to face considerable difficulties.

Some interpreters prefer to take running notes as the speech goes on, not waiting for an idea to have been fully expressed; others prefer to lag behind so that their notes may be more logical. Everyone should find out from his own practice what system suits him best, but the first of the two offers greater security to beginners.